A short drive from Bascianella, on one of the roads over the mountains, is the hillside town of Castelli, home to one of Italy’s most well-known crafts. Castelli ceramics is one of those art forms (like English cottage-ware and glass animals) that seems to provoke conflicting reactions from people. A traditional form of glazed & painted majolica that can be traced as far back as the

Oh what treasures both Food & Memories of Abruzzo and Anna Teresa Callen are. If at any point back in London I am feeling cold and a bit grey and want to rekindle the tastes of Abruzzo it is her recipe book that I pull out. Anna Callen was formerly an archaeologist before she became a famous Italian Chef

The local, tasty and so friendly Oliveri Cheese Van (everything that the Gran Sasso Shopping Mall isn’t). Visits Bascianella between 10.00am-11.30pm on Friday. In the summer ‘07 we popped into Teramo in the quest of buying towels for our spare room and friends that were coming over to borrow